Former Governor of Enugu State, Okwesilieze Nwodo, has said political leaders in the Southeast declaring support for the All Progressives Congress APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term are not speaking for the people of the region.
Speaking on ARISE News on Monday, Nwodo argued that elite political alignments do not reflect the feelings and voting behaviour of ordinary people across the Southeast.
“These are our leaders that are not speaking the mind of our people. I can tell you that for certain,” Nwodo said. “It is information you can gather on the streets, in the marketplace, anywhere you go. That is the natural feeling of the people.”
Nwodo said while some governors and political heavyweights have publicly aligned with the APC, many Nigerians remain unconvinced by the reasons behind these defections.
“Many of us in this country are wondering what is the attraction for our governors in particular, who are leaving their parties for the APC,” he said. “We do not see the justification in the opposition of the party APC. We do not see it in the performance of the central government, which is run by the APC.”
He warned against what he described as a drift towards a one-party system without ideological or performance based justification.
“People are wondering why we should be drifting to a one-party state, not based on ideology, not based on the performance of that party,” Nwodo said.
Addressing questions about Southeast leaders appearing to abandon former Anambra governor Peter Obi, now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nwodo said political decisions are often driven by personal calculations.
“Every politician has a reason for his action,” he said. “I will not act on behalf of any of our politicians in the Southeast, which is to support the president for a re-election.”
He said the ADC’s focus was on engaging the current administration on policy delivery and offering Nigerians alternatives.
“We in the African Democratic Congress want to engage the current president of Nigeria and his party on issues, on their policies, on the efficacy of their execution of their policies and promises to the Nigerian people,” Nwodo said. “I will put this side by side with the candidates that we are supporting, the former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi, and the solutions he is putting on the table for Nigerians to make a choice.”
Nwodo stressed that the APC’s growing influence among political elites has not translated into popular support in the Southeast, citing voting patterns in Enugu State.
“APC has not been a popular party in our state. PDP was,” he said. “Before the 2023 election, PDP had won all the councilorship elections in our state since the party was formed. All the local government membership elections. All the state assembly elections. All the House of Representatives elections. All the senatorial elections. All the governorship elections.”
He added that the APC’s performance at the 2023 governorship election in the state highlighted its weak grassroots appeal.
“But come 2023, and APC had a candidate for governorship in our state,” Nwodo said. “The candidates in the entire state scored 14,000 votes. That was how unpopular it was.”
Nwodo said the emergence of the Obedient Movement significantly reshaped political dynamics across the region.
“It was not helped by the tsunami, that even that popularity that PDP had was swept over by the Obedience Tsunami,” he said. “What you found on the streets at that time is even stronger today.”
According to him, ordinary people across the Southeast continue to question why prominent politicians are aligning with the APC.
“People cannot find justification why important politicians are declaring for ABC,” Nwodo said. “If they can, they will join freely, happily.”
He argued that federal power and incumbency may not be enough to override public sentiment.
“In spite of what appears that APC is now a behemoth, unchallengeable, with federal might, with incumbency in their world politics, people are still anxious to do what they have to do to salvage their country, to have a better life for themselves,” he said.
On whether Southeast governors can influence presidential voting outcomes, Nwodo expressed doubt that support for state leaders would automatically translate into votes for the APC at the national level.
“When it comes to the presidential election, I doubt that those people that will vote in their governor that is doing well will vote in APC presidential candidate,” he said.
He maintained that the APC has struggled to gain acceptance in the region since its formation.
“Since APC was formed in the Southeast, it has never taken root,” Nwodo said. “It has been seen as the government or the party that singles out the Southeast from the rest of the world.”
Nwodo also addressed concerns about future elections, stressing the need for citizens to push for electoral reforms ahead of 2027.
“It is a matter for all of us,” he said. “We vote to put pressure on the National Assembly to make sure that the electoral reforms that will come out meet our expectations.”
He added that safeguarding democracy ultimately rests with Nigerians themselves.
“Nobody is going to come to do it for us from outer space,” Nwodo said. “It is us, Nigerians, that can make sure that this happens.”
Calling for collective action, he said worsening economic conditions demand greater civic engagement.
“If we are all saying that we are living under extreme hardship in this administration, all hands must be on deck to make sure we have a better government coming in 2027,” Nwodo said.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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